‘Elected representatives should act as a bridge connecting people and govt.'

For the people:Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology A. Raja (third left) addressing a meeting of the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee at the Coimbatore Collectorate on Monday. Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N.Palanisamy (third right) is in the picture.

Union Minister for Information Technology and Communications A. Raja on Monday urged the elected representatives to sink the political differences and serve people.

He was speaking at the District Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting. Rural Industries and Animal Husbandry Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy, Collector P. Umanath, elected representatives of the Assembly, Parliament and local bodies besides officials from various departments attended.

Earlier, when the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) members made a comment on the delayed arrival of the Minister for the meeting, Mr. Raja said, “I apologise for the delay because of traffic”.

When the meeting was about to begin, the officials asked the photographers and media persons to leave the hall. The AIADMK members also went out of the meeting hall one after the other and were heard stating that the media should remain in the meeting if at all there was any transparency. The AIADMK representatives who turned up included Pollachi MP, Sugumar, MLAs Pollachi V. Jayaraman, S.M. Velusamy, R. Chinnasamy, T. Malaravan, C. Prema and O.K. Chinnaraj. Congress MLAs Kovai Thangam, M.N. Kandasamy and DMK MLA Mani attended.

Later, at the meeting, Mr.Raja reminded the elected representatives that they should act as a bridge connecting people and the government and ascertain people's needs and expectations. This could happen only if the elected representatives sank their political differences arising out of ideologies.

The meeting discussed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Housing Scheme, Prime Minister's Road Development Schemes, Water Shed Area development programme, computerisation of land records and social security schemes.

Under the MREGS, Mr.Raja said that 2,04,455 persons in 1,38,818 families at 229 panchayats had registered of which 81,782 were men and 1,22,673 women. Under the scheme, in 2008-09 works worth Rs. 81.41 lakh, in 2009-10 Rs. 404.56 lakh and during the current year till date from April 1, works worth Rs. 62.85 lakh had been taken up.

Detailing the allocations and works taken up under various schemes, he asked the officials to speed up the implementation.

Mr.Raja said because of the poll code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections and Thondamuthur Assembly by elections, the pace of works had slowed down. Over 90 per cent of the works had been completed, he said and asked the officials to ensure 100 per cent achievement.

He added that the decision of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to have the World Classical Tamil Conference in Coimbatore had resulted in the city witnessing a lot of development. He promised to take to the notice of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister some of the administrative hitches in implementing certain schemes.

He asked the administration to prepare the agenda and proposed subjects for the next vigilance and monitoring committee meeting two days in advance and send it to the members to help them raise issues and thereby enable the administrative machinery to enhance its efficiency.